Committee for The Executive Office minutes of Proceedings 17 November 2021
Committee for The Executive Office
Committee for The Executive Office
Minutes of Proceedings
Wednesday 17th November 2021
Meeting Location: Room 30, Parliament Buildings
Present:
Ms Sinead McLaughlin (Chairperson)
Mr Pat Sheehan MLA
Present via Video Conferencing:
Mr John Stewart MLA (Deputy Chairperson)
Mr Pádraig Delargy MLA
Ms Emma Sheerin MLA
Ms Diane Dodds MLA
Mr Christopher Stalford MLA
Apologies:
Mr Alex Easton MLA
Ms Trevor Lunn MLA
In Attendance:
Mr Michael Potter (Assembly Clerk)
Ms Sarah-Anne McKinley (Assistant Clerk)
Ms Alison Belshaw (Clerical Supervisor)
Ms Andrienne Magee (Clerical Officer)
The meeting commenced at 2:04pm in open session.
1. Apologies
As Above.
2. Chairperson’s Business
The Chairperson updated the Committee following a meeting on Monday 15 November 2021 with Mr David McAllister MEP and Mr Bernd Lange MEP (co-chairs of the European Parliament UK Co-ordination Group), which leads the European Parliament on UK issues.
The Chairperson updated the Committee following a meeting on Monday 15 November 2021 with Lord Kinnoull and Sir Oliver Heald who are responsible for the co-ordination of the House of Lords and House of Commons delegation for the Parliamentary Partnership Assembly (PPA).
The Chairperson updated the Committee on an invitation to attend an online event by the Institute of Government on labour shortages following EU Exit on Tuesday 23 November 2021 at 9.30am.
Agreed: The Committee agreed to write to the Committee for the Economy to see if they are considering the issue of Brexit related labour shortages following EU Exit.
Agreed: The Committee agreed to task the NIA Research Service (RaISe) to undertake research on the subject of Brexit related labour shortages following EU Exit, if the Committee for Economy is not considering the issue.
The Chairperson referred the Committee to correspondence from the Royal Irish Academy in relation to higher education.
Agreed: The Committee agreed to write to the Department for an update on the expansion of the Magee Campus.
Diane Dodds joined the meeting at 2.07pm.
3. Draft Minutes
Agreed: The Committee agreed the minutes of the meeting held on Wednesday 10th November 2021.
4. Matters Arising
None.
5. Truth Recovery Design Panel – Oral Briefing
The Truth Recovery Design Panel joined the meeting at 2:19pm.
- Ms Deirdre Mahon, Director of Women and Children’s Services and the Executive Director of Social Work in Health and Social Care in Northern Ireland.
- Professor Phil Scraton, Professor Emeritus, Queen’s University Belfast.
- Dr Maeve O’Rourke, Lecturer in Human Rights, NUI Galway.
The Truth Recovery Design Panel briefed the Committee on the findings from their report ‘Mother and Baby Institutions, Magdalene Laundries and Workhouses in Northern Ireland: Truth, Acknowledgement and Accountability.’
The oral evidence was followed by a question and answer session.
Christopher Stalford joined the meeting at 2.48pm.
The Chairperson thanked the Truth Recovery Design Panel for their attendance.
Agreed: The Committee agreed to write to the Department for a step by step update on the approach of The Executive Office implementing the recommendations from the Truth Recovery Design report.
Agreed: The Committee agreed to request officials to brief the Committee on the approach to implement the recommendations from the Truth Recovery Design report.
Agreed: The Committee agreed to write to the Editor of Hansard to request that the session is retrospectively recorded by Hansard due the nature of the briefing to ensure clarity for victims and survivors.
6. Stakeholder Session Travel Agents (Coronavirus) Financial Assistance Scheme - Departmental Briefing
Officials joined the meeting at 3:51pm
- Ms. Siobhan Broderick, Director of Equality, Rights and Identity, The Executive Office.
- Mr. Paul McKenna, Head of Identity and Cultural Expression Branch, The Executive Office.
Officials briefed the Committee in relation to the Travel Agents (Coronavirus) Financial Assistance Scheme.
The oral evidence was followed by a question and answer session.
Agreed: The Committee agreed to write to the Economy Minister to ask the Department of Economy to support the sector going forward with further funding.
Agreed: The Committee agreed to write to the Economy Committee to raise the issue of further financial support for travel agents with the Economy Minister.
Pat Sheehan left the meeting at 4.17pm.
Pat Sheehan returned to the meeting at 4.20pm.
Diane Dodds left the meeting at 4.24pm.
7. EU Response to the UK Command Paper on the Ireland / Northern Ireland Protocol - Assembly Research Oral Briefing
The Assembly Researcher joined the meeting at 4.24pm.
- Emma Dellow-Perry, Research Officer, NIA Research Service (RaISe).
The Researcher briefed the Committee on the report ‘EU response to the UK Command Paper on the Ireland/ Northern Ireland Protocol.’
The oral evidence was followed by a question and answer session.
During their evidence session the Researcher agreed to provide the Committee with information in relation to the European Court of Justice and state aid.
Pádraig Delargy left the meeting at 4.46pm
8. Forward Work Programme
The Committee noted the Forward Work Programme for November – December 2021.
The Committee noted a previous invitation to visit the Maze Long Kesh site and noted that a planned date had been arranged.
Agreed: The Committee agreed to attend the Maze Long Kesh on Thursday 25 November 2021 between 10am and 12pm for a tour of the site.
The Committee noted an invitation from the Seanad Special Select Committee to meet informally in the New Year as both Committees are unable to meet before the publication of the Special Select Committee report in December 2021.
The Committee noted a number of changes to the Forward Work Plan.
Agreed: The Committee agreed to reschedule the oral briefing on the Refugee Integration Strategy from Department officials from the 24 November 2021 to 1 December 2021.
Agreed: The Committee agreed to reschedule the oral briefingfromthe Centre for Children’s Rights to the 15 December 2021 replacing the Centre for Cross Border Studies oral briefing, which has been moved forward to the 8 December 2021.
9. Correspondence
i. The Committee noted a statement from the European Commission in relation to press remarks by Vice-President Maroš Šefčovič following a meeting with Lord Frost on the 12 November 2021.
ii. The Committee noted a press release from the UK Government regarding Lord Frost’s meeting with Vice- President Maroš Šefčovič on the 12 November 2021.
iii. The Committee noted a statement from the UK Government following Lord Frost’s speech to the UK Parliament in relation to EU Relations on the 10 November 2021.
iv. The Committee noted correspondence from The Executive Office in relation to queries following the junior Ministers' session on the 29 September 2021 regarding labour shortages.
v. The Committee noted correspondence from The Executive Office regarding a meeting of the Joint Consultative Working Group on the 18 October 2021.
vi. The Committee noted correspondence from The Executive Office in relation to the appointment of new members on the Victims and Survivors Board.
vii. The Committee noted correspondence from The Executive Office regarding a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the Department of Finance and the Executive Office in respect of their responsibilities in relation to reform of the Northern Ireland Civil Service.
viii. The Committee noted correspondence from the NIA EU Affairs Manager in relation to the publication of the UK Government Report ‘The European Union (Withdrawal) Act and Common Frameworks: Frameworks Analysis 2021.’
ix. The Committee noted correspondence from the Community Relations Council regarding their Annual Report and accounts for the year ending 31 March 2021.
x. The Committee noted correspondence from the Foyle Language School in relation to the English Language Teaching (ELT) sector in Northern Ireland.
xi. The Committee noted correspondence from the Royal Irish Academy regarding the launch of their Higher Education Futures Discussion Papers.
xii. The Committee noted correspondence from the House of Lords Select Committee on the Constitution expressing their thanks to the Committee for their appearance before the Select Committee on 4 November 2021.
10. Any Other Business
None.
11. Date, Time and Place of the next meeting
The next Committee meeting will be held on Wednesday 24 November 2021 at 2:00pm, in Room 30, Parliament Buildings.
The meeting was adjourned at 4:58pm.
Sinéad McLaughlin
Chairperson, Committee for the Executive Office
